Kneeling benches



June 30, 1959 FROST 2,892,488

KNEEILING BENCHES Filed Jan. 3, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. 4 #751?5590.57

BY WW 2/ irroe/vsyr E. F. FROST KNEELING BENCHES June 30, 1959 FiledJan. 5, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR- firm; nix

United States Patent memesnENcnEs Elmer LFIGS, d'atkRillB', Ill.pplication Jamala, 1958,;SefidlNo. 7065921 '1 Cla'lin. or; 155-166) Myinvention relates to improvements in kneeling benches.

My invention relates more particularly to improvements in the supportsfor the end legs of the cushioned kneelers of the type which are almostuniversally used today. In designing and installing pew kneelers of thetype referred to, certain desirable objects are to make the same lightin weight, noiseless in use, and capable of easy movement to anout-of-the-way position when not in use, leaving more walking spacebetween the pews or rows of seats.

Another advantage of my improved design is that the kneeler may be swungup and away from the floor, resulting in the removal of any obstructionby the kneeler to brooms or other floor cleaning equipment.

A further advantage is in the design and construction of the pivotbrackets which support the end legs of the kneelers, the pivot bracketsbeing so made that after their attachment to the vertical seat supports,the end legs of the kneelers are easily and quickly mounted thereon andthe installation is complete.

For a more comprehensive understanding of the various features of myinvention and its advantages, reference is had to the followingdescription and the accompanying drawings, upon which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my improved kneeling bench shownfastened between the vertical supports of the usual church pew seat, andit is shown raised to its out-of-the-way position;

Fig. 2 is a front perspective view of the cushioned kneeler;

Fig. 3 is a full size front view of the type of pivot bracket employedwith the screen at the front of the church;

Fig. is a side view thereof showing a portion of the screen incross-section;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of my improved kneeling bench shown fastened onpivot brackets connected to the facing sides of vertical supports of achurch pew seat, the kneeling bench being broken to foreshorten thesame;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view thereof taken on the line 66, showing thekneeling pad in position for use, and in dotted lines when raised to theout-of-the-way position;

Fig. 7 is a full size front view of the pivot support bracket;

Fig. 8 is a side elevational view thereof with parts broken in sectionto more clearly show other parts; and

Fig. 9 is a side elevational view of the removable pivot which I employ.

In the embodiment of the invention which I have chosen to illustrate anddescribe the same, in Fig. 1 I have shown the usual church pew seats 10that have the back 12, the vertical end supports 14 and intermediatevertical seat supports 16 as shown.

The kneeling bench which I employ is preferably of the type shown inFig. 2 and may include the similarly shaped end legs 20, the centersupport 22, and the cush- 2,892,488 Patented June 30,

' pad support 28 may rest, the ends of the padsupport also beingfastenedthereto by the screw :members 30. The pad support may be formedas shown with the fiat edge portions 34 and a V-shaped medial portion 38which forms a bracing therefor, the ends-of thew-shaped portion also@being received in V shaped recesses 40 inithe:

end legs 20.

The end legs 20 each have side arms 42 having a bore 44 adjacent theouter end for the reception of a pivot pin 46 as will be hereinafterdescribed. The pad support 28 may support the kneeling pad 24 thereon,the kneeling pad being usually constructed of a /2" x 5" board of thedesired length having one inch of compressible rubber thereon and thesame being covered by a suitable leather or imitation leather covering.

As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the kneeling pad 24 is provided between theseat uprights 16, each of which have a pivot bracket 48 connectedthereto by suitable screw members 50 which pass through openings 52 inthe support bracket 48. The brackets are fastened against the facingwalls of the support 16 in such position that when the kneeling bench israised to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 6, the extended arms 42of the end legs 20 will rest against a pair of stop shoulders 60connected to the extended ends of the brackets 48. The stops 60 arepreferably pin members 62 having a sponge rubber collar 64 thereon toeffect the noiseless action and also to effect longer wear to the armportions of the end legs 20. The pivot pins 46 are also preferably extended through nylon bushings 66 that are mounted in the bores 44 in theends of the arms 42.

In order to assemble the kneeling bench as shown in Fig. 5 between thefixed vertical supports 16, I have provided the pivot 46 with ascrew-threaded end 460 and an end slot 46b so that the same can beremoved from the tapped opening 460 in the boss 48a on one end of thebracket 48. Thus, after the right-hand leg 20 has been fastened over arigid pivot 45 on the upright 16, the other end leg 20 may be moved intoalignment with the pivot pin boss 48a, the pivot pin 46 inserted andscrewthreadedly fastened into the position shown in Fig. 8, and theassembly is thus completed.

For use in connection with the screen at the front of the church whereno pivot bracket 48 can be employed, I provide a support bracket 70which may be fastened to the screen S by means of a pair of screwmembers 72 that pass through the opening 74 in the bracket 70. Thebracket also has a raised boss 76 having a tapped bore therethrough toreceive the screw-threaded end 46a of the pivot pin 46 in the samemanner as previously described in connection with the bracket 48.

From the above and foregoing description, it can be seen that I haveprovided a construction of elongated kneeling bench which, together withthe end legs that I provide, is capable of attachment to pivot bracketson the vertical supports of the church pew seats in a simple and easymanner. The use of a removable pivot pin in one of the pivot bracketspermits the easy alignment and fastening of the kneeling bench in place.

While I have illustrated and described a specific embodiment of theinvention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changesand modifications may be made in the exact details shown and I do notwish to be limited in any particular; rather what I desire to secure andprotect by Letters Patent of the United States is: i

The combination with the vertical supports of a church pew seat of anelongated kneeling bench pivotally con- 3 1:1 nected between saidsupports for use by worshippers o in an out-of-the-way position, saidbench including a pair of end legs, a pad support connected therebetweenand fastened at its end on the tops of said end legs, a kneeling padextending the length of said support and connected to the top of saidpad support, each of said legs being L-shaped and having a foot portiondirectly below the end of the pad support and an arm extending to oneside of the same, abore through one end of eachv arm, elongated pivotbrackets fastened on the sides of said vertical seat supports, eachbracket having a resilient stop shoulder at one end of the same and eachbracket having a pivot pin boss, a pivot pin secured thereon, one ofsaid pivot pins removably secured in its boss for insertion afteralignment of one of said end legs for recep- 15 tion of the sarhe, saidstep shouldersbeing'at the'other end of saidbracket, said stop shouldersbeing in the form of elongated cylindrical rubber washers fastened on astem secured near the upper end of each bracket said brackets beingmounted at a diagonal angle forward from said kneeling bench so thatsaid bench may be raised when not in use past a vertical plane to restby gravity against said stop shoulders in the outof-the-way position.

References Cited in the 'fileofthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

